Install Wayland Compositors on Void Linux

On Void Linux, Wayland itself is just a display protocol — you don’t “run” Wayland directly. Instead, you install a Wayland compositor (like sway, labwc, or wayfire) that provides the Wayland display server functionality.

Here’s a clean step-by-step to get Wayland working on Void Linux.

1. Update your system

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sudo xbps-install -Syu

2. Install required Wayland packages

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These are the general Wayland libraries and tools:

sudo xbps-install -S wayland wayland-protocols wlroots seatd xorg-server-xwayland

• wayland – core Wayland libraries
• wayland-protocols – extra protocol extensions
• wlroots – backend library for many compositors
• seatd – seat management daemon (needed for input devices)
• xorg-server-xwayland – XWayland support for running X11 apps under Wayland

3. Pick and install a Wayland compositor

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For example, Sway (a tiling WM like i3 but for Wayland):

sudo xbps-install -S sway

Other options:

sudo xbps-install -S labwc     # lightweight Openbox-style compositor
sudo xbps-install -S wayfire   # 3D compositor like Compiz

4. Enable seatd for input device access

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sudo ln -s /etc/sv/seatd /var/service/
sudo usermod -aG video,input yourusername

Log out and back in so your group changes take effect.

5. Start your Wayland session

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From a TTY (not inside X11), log in and run:

sway

If you’re using labwc or wayfire, replace sway with the compositor name.

6. (Optional) Set up a display manager with Wayland

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If you want graphical login:

• greetd (lightweight Wayland login manager)

sudo xbps-install -S greetd greetd-gtkgreet
sudo ln -s /etc/sv/greetd /var/service/

Edit /etc/greetd/config.toml to run your compositor after login.

7. (Optional) Wayland utilities

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sudo xbps-install -S wofi grim slurp wl-clipboard

• wofi – application launcher
• grim + slurp – screenshots
• wl-clipboard – clipboard tools for Wayland